1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system configured to perform a series of processing with a plurality of apparatuses operating in cooperation with one another.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, copying machines have been digitized and thus can communicate with one another via a network. Under such an environment, copying machines on a network are capable of performing one processing in cooperation with one another.
For example, image data of a document is read by a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having functions of a color scanner and a monochromatic printer, the read image data is transferred to a color printer located at a remote place, and the transferred image data can be printed by the remote color printer. Thus, color copying can be implemented.
In the case where a copying machine located close to a user does not have a facsimile transmission function, image data of a document read by the copying machine can be transferred to an apparatus having a facsimile function, which is located at a remote place. Then, the apparatus performs transmission of the transferred image data via a facsimile.
In order to implement such cooperation processing, it is necessary for a user to give an indication about a cooperation destination. When a user indicates a cooperation destination apparatus, the user enters information unique to the apparatus of a cooperation destination. When such information unique to an apparatus is to be indicated, an Internet protocol (IP) address of the apparatus, a device name set to the apparatus, and information about an installation location of the apparatus can be used.
A user can acquire such information unique to a cooperation destination apparatus by various methods.
For example, a user can acquire such unique information by using information about a label attached to the apparatus or by using a user interface (UI) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays information set to an apparatus.
In order to actually set a cooperation destination apparatus to be associated, it is necessary for a user, for example, to take a note of and memorize information unique to the cooperation destination candidate apparatus. Then, the user designates unique information such as an IP address according to the note and sets the apparatus as a cooperation destination apparatus.
Alternatively, a user can take a note of (memorize) information unique to the cooperation destination candidate apparatus, use a function of searching for a cooperation destination apparatus, cause a cooperation source apparatus to display a list of cooperation destination candidate apparatuses, and then designate a cooperation destination apparatus from among the list of cooperation destination candidate apparatuses in the search result according to the memorized unique information.
However, in the above-described conventional method, when an office or a business place includes a large number of copying machines, a user has to check for unique information about each of the copying machines and perform the above-described operations to designate a cooperation destination apparatus.
As a method for designating a cooperation destination apparatus without using a note of unique information, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-170000 discusses a method that uses an integrated circuit (IC) card to designate a cooperation destination apparatus. When a cooperation destination apparatus is designated using an IC card, a user can input information about his own personal computer (PC) via a printer (or an MFP having a printer function), through an IC card reader such as a radio frequency identification (RFID).
With the method discussed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-170000, when the printer sends to another PC the information entered by the user through the IC card reader, the PC receiving the information automatically activates a printer driver corresponding to the entered information. Here, the information about the user's PC can include an e-mail address or a path name of an open folder of the PC such as “¥¥YPC-2005-01234¥share”.
However, in the case where there is large number of copying machines, a user cannot always identify and designate a cooperation destination apparatus using the device or service search because a large number of apparatuses of the same model type exist. In particular, in the case where an individual name of each apparatus is not registered and unique information such as Internet protocol (IP) address of each apparatus is not displayed as a label, a user cannot identify or designate a cooperation destination apparatus.
In such a case, when a user desires to perform cooperative processing using a cooperation destination apparatus located at a place within eyesight, a large number of apparatuses of the same model type are displayed as a search result. Accordingly, it is difficult for the user to select a cooperation destination apparatus from among the large number of apparatuses in the search result. That is, in this case, a user cannot easily identify a cooperation destination apparatus even when the apparatus exists within eyesight.
Furthermore, according to the above-described conventional method, an MFP sends information necessary for activating the printer drive to the user's PC. Accordingly, it is necessary to store an e-mail address or identification information of the PC in an IC card. Thus, an existing IC card cannot be used.